If You Can't Hang
by Adelphrexia
Summary: Damon gets tired of Katherine's cheating and divorces her. Three years later, he meets the love of his life. Based on the song "If You Can't Hang" by Sleeping With Sirens. Better than it sounds. Cross posted on the Ao3 under the same pen name.


Damon sat in the kitchen of the apartment he shared with his wife, Katherine. There was a glass of bourbon in front of him, mostly ignored. His mind was reeling from the conversation he had just had with his brother Stefan. Stefan had told him that he had seen Katherine at the Grill the night before, snuggled in a booth with _Mason Lockwood_ of all fucking people. He shouldn't have been surprised though, a week ago he found some rather _explicit_ texts between her and her boss, Elijah. Just how many other men had she been seeing?

He had met Katherine during their senior year in high school. She had been a transfer from New York, and within a week of moving to their tiny town, she had half the male population wrapped around her little finger. She was gorgeous, classy, and mysterious, and Damon had been smitten from the moment they met. And he thought she felt the same.

It should've been a red flag, when Katherine decided he needed an "image overhaul" as she called it, before she would be seen out with him. So he traded his regular jeans and flannel shirts for fitted, all black designer clothes and a leather jacket. She also made him cut and straighten the natural curls from his hair. He had barely recognized himself after, but it made Katherine happy, and that's what mattered. It was the only thing that had ever mattered in their relationship. She had him bending over backwards for her every whim, while she always acted so distant.

He had given her everything, and she had turned out to be a cheat. He slammed his hands on the table. Enough was enough.

As soon as Katherine came through the door that evening, Damon confronted her.

"Stefan called earlier," he stated, simmering with anger. "And he had some very surprising news. Want to know what it was?"

Katherine just cocked her eyebrow at him. "Not really," she replied, sounding bored. "But I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway."

"He told me that he saw you in Mystic Falls last night at the Grill, getting cozy with _Mason fucking Lockwood_. Care to explain?"

She didn't even bother trying to lie. "I was with Mason last night, yes. You and I have been growing apart for some time, Damon. I've found someone new who I want to be with."

Of course she'd say that. They'd been growing apart because she had been _cheating_ on him. With Mason, Elijah, and God knows who else.

"Fine," he said tossing a manila folder on the counter in front of her. "Then sign these, and get the fuck out."

She picked up the folder. "And just what is this, Damon?" she asked, looking genuinely surprised.

"They're divorce papers, Katherine. I had Alaric draw them up for me this afternoon."

"Fine. I hope you're ready to spend the next twenty years sending me a check every month." She looked smug.

"Nope," Damon said, smirking. "As it turns out, one of those documents my father had us sign when we got married was a prenup. With an infidelity clause. You're not getting anything."

Her expression shifted to one of rage. "Whatever. You're going to regret this, Damon Salvatore. If it hadn't been for me, you'd still be the pathetic boy you were when we met. Maybe inside, you still are. No wonder I got bored with you." She grabbed the papers and quickly scribbled her signature. She then straightened, and turned to go into the bedroom.

"Don't bother, I already packed up your stuff. It's at Pearl's, so you can drop the keys to the car that _I_ bought, and call yourself a cab from the lobby. You're no longer welcome here."

With a last, withering glare, Katherine threw the car keys on the floor and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Finally," Damon sighed. "Thought she's never leave."

 _Three Years Later_

Damon was going to be late. Damn alarm, damn Stefan borrowing his car without asking. Damn it all.

After his divorce from the Evil Bitch From Hell, a.k.a Katherine, he had focused on finishing his degree at UVA. After he graduated, he had moved back home to Mystic Falls. Carol Lockwood, the mayor, had been a friend of his father's and had graciously offered him a job as part of her staff, and he was late on his first day. As he rushed through the front doors of city hall, he suddenly collided with someone. Hot coffee splashed over the front of his shirt. Fantastic.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" A brunette in her early twenties was staring at him, brown eyes wide and apologetic. There was coffee all over her too.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I should have been paying attention to where I was going, so it's my fault." He smiled at her. She was pretty cute. He wasn't even a little mad.

"Oh, well sorry about the coffee anyway," she smiled at him and his mouth went dry. "I'm Elena." She held her hand out.

"Damon," he said, shaking her hand. Her skin was _very_ soft.

"Well, Damon, maybe I can make it up to you. Would you like to get lunch with me today? If you don't have plans, that is." she looked flustered. It was adorable.

"No, I don't have any lunch plans. I'll meet you here at noon? We can go to the Grill if that's all right with you." This was day was turning out better than originally expected.

"That sounds great. I'll see you then," Elena turned and exited, leaving Damon standing in the lobby grinning like an idiot.

"Damon, you're late." Shit. He grimaced and turned.

"Sorry, Carol. I hate to ask, but is it all right if I went home and changed?" He gestured to the large coffee stain on his shirt.

Carol sighed. "Yes, fine, but hurry. We have a meeting with the council in twenty minutes."

Damon practically ran out of the building.

 _One Year Later_

"Elena Gilbert, will you marry me?" Damon was on one knee in front of his girlfriend of one year, looking up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

Her beautiful brown eyes filled with tears. "Yes! Yes, Damon Salvatore, I will absolutely marry you!"

Damon slipped the ring on her finger, before standing and enveloping his fiancee in a tight hug. After that first lunch together, their relationship had quickly blossomed. Elena was so amazing, and he had fallen madly in love with her within a week. He had given her everything, and she did the same for him.


End file.
